Price movement over the last 24 hours
Agilent Technologies Inc vs Paychex, Inc. — how do they compare? Agilent Technologies Inc trades at $128.67 (market cap $37.04B), while Paychex, Inc. trades at $106.21 (market cap $38.44B). The key difference: Agilent Technologies Inc and Paychex, Inc. are close in size by market cap, and Paychex, Inc. pays the higher dividend (4.4%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| A | PAYX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $37.04B | $38.44B |
Sector | Health | Industrials |
52-Week High | $157.20 | $147.99 |
52-Week Low | $110.24 | $85.57 |
Enterprise Value | $38.59B | $41.92B |
Dividend Yield | 0.78% | 4.4% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Agilent Technologies (A) trades at $131.14, up 0.34% on the day, with a bearish technical signal but strong analyst support. The stock shows solid profitability with a net margin of 19.55% and ROE of 21.33%, supported by recent earnings beats. Recent acquisitions like Biocare Medical highlight growth initiatives, while cash flow trends remain positive. Valuation ratios such as P/E of 26.22 are elevated but align with quality growth expectations.
The outlook is positive given analyst consensus with a $154.90 price target and 77.5% buy ratings. Risks include execution of acquisitions and macroeconomic pressures on life sciences spending. The stock offers growth potential from AI-driven product launches, though technical resistance near $132 may cap near-term gains.
Paychex (PAYX) trades at $108.12, up 1.66% today, showing strong momentum with three consecutive quarterly earnings beats. The stock exhibits bullish technical signals with moving averages supporting upward movement, though RSI suggests mild overbought conditions. Fundamentally, the company maintains robust profitability with 27% net margins and 44.8% ROE, supported by steady revenue growth and strong cash flow generation.
The outlook remains positive with analyst consensus at $110 target and continued AI-driven growth initiatives. However, elevated valuation multiples and potential macroeconomic headwinds to small business hiring present risks. The stock offers a compelling combination of growth execution and shareholder returns through dividends.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Originally spun out of Hewlett-Packard in 1999, Agilent has evolved into a leading life sciences and diagnostics firm. Today, Agilent's measurement technologies serve a broad base of customers with its three operating segments: life science and applied tools (45% of fiscal 2021 sales), cross lab (35% of sales consisting of consumables and services related to its life science and applied tools), and diagnostics and genomics (20%). Over half of its sales are generated from the biopharmaceutical, chemical, and energy end markets, but it also supports clinical lab, environmental, forensics, food, academic, and government-related organizations. The company is geographically diverse, with operations in the U.S. (34%) and China (20%) representing the largest country concentrations.
Read more on A →Paychex is a leading provider of payroll, human capital management, and insurance solutions servicing small and midsize clients primarily in the United States. The company, established in 1979, services over 730,000 clients and pays over 1 in 12 U.S. private-sector workers. Alongside its traditional payroll services, Paychex offers HCM solutions such as benefits administration and time and attendance software, as well as human resources outsourcing and insurance agency services.
Read more on PAYX →